Distributed, decentralized data aggregation

ABSTRACT

Apparatuses, systems, methods, and computer program products are disclosed for distributed and/or decentralized data aggregation. A method includes accessing each of a plurality of third party service providers, from a hardware device associated with a user, using the user&#39;s determined electronic credentials, to download data associated with the user from the third party service providers. A method includes accessing one or more other locations on one or more of a third party service providers, with one or more artificially introduced delays between accessing the one or more other locations and downloading data, thereby emulating a use pattern of a user for the one or more of the third party service providers. A method includes aggregating downloaded data from third party service providers and providing one or more communications to a user on a hardware device based on the aggregated downloaded data.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/525,536 entitled “PREDICTING INPUT LOCATIONS FOR DATA AGGREGATIONUSING MACHINE LEARNING” and filed on Jul. 29, 2019 for John RyanCaldwell, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/633,466 entitled “LOCAL DATA AGGREGATION REPOSITORY” and filed onJun. 26, 2017 for John Ryan Caldwell, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 15/167,650 entitled “DISTRIBUTED,DECENTRALIZED DATA AGGREGATION” and filed on May 27, 2016 for John RyanCaldwell, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/280,070 entitled “DISTRIBUTED, DECENTRALIZED DATAAGGREGATION” and filed on Jan. 18, 2016 for Ryan Caldwell and of U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/254,708 entitled “DISTRIBUTED DATAAGGREGATION” and filed on Nov. 12, 2015 for John Ryan Caldwell, each ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for allpurposes.

FIELD

This invention relates to ownership and collection of a user's data andmore particularly relates to the distributed and/or decentralizedaggregation of data of multiple users from hardware devices associatedwith the users.

BACKGROUND

As more and more of a user's data moves to the cloud, it has becomeincreasingly difficult for a user to control, to download, and/or to usethe user's own personal data. It can be particularly difficult for auser to export data from the walled garden of a service provider, whichmay take multiple technical measures to prevent a user from accessingthe user's data outside of the service provider's ecosystem. A serviceprovider may block one or more internet protocol (IP) addresses of athird party, such as an aggregator service, from accessing a user's datafrom the service provider, even if the third party has the user'sauthorization and login credentials.

SUMMARY

Methods are presented for distributed and/or decentralized dataaggregation. In one embodiment, a method includes accessing each of aplurality of third party service providers, from a hardware deviceassociated with a user, using the user's determined electroniccredentials, to download data associated with the user from the thirdparty service providers. A method, in a further embodiment, includesaccessing one or more other locations on one or more of a third partyservice providers, with one or more artificially introduced delaysbetween accessing the one or more other locations and downloading data,thereby emulating a use pattern of a user for the one or more of thethird party service providers. In certain embodiments, a method includesaggregating downloaded data from third party service providers andproviding one or more communications to a user on a hardware devicebased on the aggregated downloaded data.

Apparatuses are presented for distributed and/or decentralized dataaggregation. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a direct accessmodule configured to access each of a plurality of third party serviceproviders, from a hardware device associated with a user, using theuser's determined electronic credentials, to download data associatedwith the user from the third party service providers and access one ormore other locations on one or more of the third party serviceproviders, with one or more artificially introduced delays betweenaccessing the one or more other locations and downloading the data,thereby emulating a use pattern of the user for the one or more of thethird party service providers. In further embodiments, an apparatusincludes an interface module configured to provide one or morecommunications to a user on a hardware device based on downloaded dataaggregated from third party service providers.

Apparatuses are presented for distributed and/or decentralized dataaggregation. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes means foraccessing each of a plurality of third party service providers, from ahardware device associated with a user, using the user's determinedelectronic credentials, to download data associated with the user fromthe third party service providers. In further embodiments, an apparatusincludes means for accessing one or more other locations on one or morethird party service providers, with one or more artificially introduceddelays between accessing the one or more other locations and downloadingdata, thereby emulating a use pattern of a user for the one or more ofthe third party service providers. In various embodiments, an apparatusincludes means for aggregating downloaded data from third party serviceproviders and providing one or more communications to a user on ahardware device based on the aggregated downloaded data.

Systems are presented for distributed and/or decentralized dataaggregation to perform one or more of the operations described withregard to the disclosed methods and apparatuses. Computer programproducts comprising a computer readable storage medium are presented. Incertain embodiments, a computer readable storage medium stores computerusable program code executable to perform one or more of the operationsdescribed with regard to the disclosed methods and apparatuses.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the advantages of the invention will be readilyunderstood, a more particular description of the invention brieflydescribed above will be rendered by reference to specific embodimentsthat are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that thesedrawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are nottherefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the inventionwill be described and explained with additional specificity and detailthrough the use of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating one embodiment of asystem for distributed/decentralized data aggregation;

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of one embodiment of an aggregationmodule;

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of another embodiment of anaggregation module;

FIG. 4A is a schematic block diagram illustrating an additionalembodiment of a system for distributed/decentralized data aggregation;

FIG. 4B is a schematic block diagram illustrating a further embodimentof a system for distributed/decentralized data aggregation;

FIG. 4C is a schematic block diagram illustrating a certain embodimentof a system for distributed/decentralized data aggregation;

FIG. 5A is a schematic block diagram illustrating one embodiment of auser interface;

FIG. 5B is a schematic block diagram illustrating another embodiment ofa user interface;

FIG. 6 is a schematic flow chart diagram illustrating one embodiment ofa method for distributed/decentralized data aggregation;

FIG. 7 is a schematic flow chart diagram illustrating a furtherembodiment of a method for distributed/decentralized data aggregation;and

FIG. 8 is a schematic flow chart diagram illustrating another embodimentof a method for distributed/decentralized data aggregation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “anembodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature,structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodimentis included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases“in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” and similar language throughoutthis specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the sameembodiment, but mean “one or more but not all embodiments” unlessexpressly specified otherwise. The terms “including,” “comprising,”“having,” and variations thereof mean “including but not limited to”unless expressly specified otherwise. An enumerated listing of itemsdoes not imply that any or all of the items are mutually exclusiveand/or mutually inclusive, unless expressly specified otherwise. Theterms “a,” “an,” and “the” also refer to “one or more” unless expresslyspecified otherwise.

Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics ofthe embodiments may be combined in any suitable manner. One skilled inthe relevant art will recognize that the embodiments may be practicedwithout one or more of the specific features or advantages of aparticular embodiment. In other instances, additional features andadvantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not bepresent in all embodiments.

These features and advantages of the embodiments will become more fullyapparent from the following description and appended claims, or may belearned by the practice of embodiments as set forth hereinafter. As willbe appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the presentinvention may be embodied as a system, method, and/or computer programproduct. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention may take the formof an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment(including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or anembodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may allgenerally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module,” or “system.”Furthermore, aspects of the present invention may take the form of acomputer program product embodied in one or more computer readablemedium(s) having program code embodied thereon.

Many of the functional units described in this specification have beenlabeled as modules, in order to more particularly emphasize theirimplementation independence. For example, a module may be implemented asa hardware circuit comprising custom VLSI circuits or gate arrays,off-the-shelf semiconductors such as logic chips, transistors, or otherdiscrete components. A module may also be implemented in programmablehardware devices such as field programmable gate arrays, programmablearray logic, programmable logic devices or the like.

Modules may also be implemented in software for execution by varioustypes of processors. An identified module of program code may, forinstance, comprise one or more physical or logical blocks of computerinstructions which may, for instance, be organized as an object,procedure, or function. Nevertheless, the executables of an identifiedmodule need not be physically located together, but may comprisedisparate instructions stored in different locations which, when joinedlogically together, comprise the module and achieve the stated purposefor the module.

Indeed, a module of program code may be a single instruction, or manyinstructions, and may even be distributed over several different codesegments, among different programs, and across several memory devices.Similarly, operational data may be identified and illustrated hereinwithin modules, and may be embodied in any suitable form and organizedwithin any suitable type of data structure. The operational data may becollected as a single data set, or may be distributed over differentlocations including over different storage devices, and may exist, atleast partially, merely as electronic signals on a system or network.Where a module or portions of a module are implemented in software, theprogram code may be stored and/or propagated on in one or more computerreadable medium(s).

The computer program product may include a computer readable storagemedium (or media) having computer readable program instructions thereonfor causing a processor to carry out aspects of the present invention.

The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that canretain and store instructions for use by an instruction executiondevice. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but isnot limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device,an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, asemiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of thecomputer readable storage medium includes the following: a portablecomputer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (“RAM”), aread-only memory (“ROM”), an erasable programmable read-only memory(“EPROM” or Flash memory), a static random access memory (“SRAM”), aportable compact disc read-only memory (“CD-ROM”), a digital versatiledisk (“DVD”), a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encodeddevice such as punch-cards or raised structures in a groove havinginstructions recorded thereon, and any suitable combination of theforegoing. A computer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not tobe construed as being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves orother freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic wavespropagating through a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., lightpulses passing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signalstransmitted through a wire.

Computer readable program instructions described herein can bedownloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computerreadable storage medium or to an external computer or external storagedevice via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, awide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprisecopper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wirelesstransmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/oredge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in eachcomputing/processing device receives computer readable programinstructions from the network and forwards the computer readable programinstructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium withinthe respective computing/processing device.

Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations ofthe present invention may be assembler instructions,instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions,machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions,state-setting data, or either source code or object code written in anycombination of one or more programming languages, including an objectoriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C++ or the like, andconventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C”programming language or similar programming languages. The computerreadable program instructions may execute entirely on the user'scomputer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone softwarepackage, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computeror entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario,the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through anytype of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide areanetwork (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer(for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example,programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), orprogrammable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readableprogram instructions by utilizing state information of the computerreadable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry,in order to perform aspects of the present invention.

Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer readable program instructions.

These computer readable program instructions may be provided to aprocessor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, orother programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, suchthat the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computeror other programmable data processing apparatus, create means forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructionsmay also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can directa computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or otherdevices to function in a particular manner, such that the computerreadable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises anarticle of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects ofthe function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram blockor blocks.

The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto acomputer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other deviceto cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer,other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computerimplemented process, such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement thefunctions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block orblocks.

Many of the functional units described in this specification have beenlabeled as modules, in order to more particularly emphasize theirimplementation independence. For example, a module may be implemented asa hardware circuit comprising custom VLSI circuits or gate arrays,off-the-shelf semiconductors such as logic chips, transistors, or otherdiscrete components. A module may also be implemented in programmablehardware devices such as field programmable gate arrays, programmablearray logic, programmable logic devices or the like.

Modules may also be implemented in software for execution by varioustypes of processors. An identified module of program instructions may,for instance, comprise one or more physical or logical blocks ofcomputer instructions which may, for instance, be organized as anobject, procedure, or function. Nevertheless, the executables of anidentified module need not be physically located together, but maycomprise disparate instructions stored in different locations which,when joined logically together, comprise the module and achieve thestated purpose for the module.

The schematic flowchart diagrams and/or schematic block diagrams in theFigures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation ofpossible implementations of apparatuses, systems, methods and computerprogram products according to various embodiments of the presentinvention. In this regard, each block in the schematic flowchartdiagrams and/or schematic block diagrams may represent a module,segment, or portion of code, which comprises one or more executableinstructions of the program code for implementing the specified logicalfunction(s).

It should also be noted that, in some alternative implementations, thefunctions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in theFigures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, beexecuted substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes beexecuted in the reverse order, depending upon the functionalityinvolved. Other steps and methods may be conceived that are equivalentin function, logic, or effect to one or more blocks, or portionsthereof, of the illustrated Figures.

Although various arrow types and line types may be employed in theflowchart and/or block diagrams, they are understood not to limit thescope of the corresponding embodiments. Indeed, some arrows or otherconnectors may be used to indicate only the logical flow of the depictedembodiment. For instance, an arrow may indicate a waiting or monitoringperiod of unspecified duration between enumerated steps of the depictedembodiment. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagramsand/or flowchart diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the blockdiagrams and/or flowchart diagrams, can be implemented by specialpurpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions oracts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and program code.

FIG. 1 depicts one embodiment of a system 100 for distributed and/ordecentralized data aggregation. In one embodiment, the system 100includes one or more hardware devices 102, one or more aggregationmodules 104 (e.g., a backend aggregation module 104 b and/or a pluralityof aggregation modules 104 a disposed on the one or more hardwaredevices 102), one or more data networks 106 or other communicationchannels, one or more third party service providers 108 (e.g., one ormore servers 108 of one or more service providers 108; one or more cloudor network service providers, or the like), and/or one or more backendservers 110. In certain embodiments, even though a specific number ofhardware devices 102, aggregation modules 104, data networks 106, thirdparty service providers 108, and/or backend servers 110 are depicted inFIG. 1, one of skill in the art will recognize, in light of thisdisclosure, that any number of hardware devices 102, aggregation modules104, data networks 106, third party service providers 108, and/orbackend servers 110 may be included in the system 100 for distributeddata aggregation.

In one embodiment, the system 100 includes one or more hardware devices102. The hardware devices 102 (e.g., computing devices, informationhandling devices, or the like) may include one or more of a desktopcomputer, a laptop computer, a mobile device, a tablet computer, a smartphone, a set-top box, a gaming console, a smart TV, a smart watch, afitness band, an optical head-mounted display (e.g., a virtual realityheadset, smart glasses, or the like), an HDMI or other electronicdisplay dongle, a personal digital assistant, and/or another computingdevice comprising a processor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), aprocessor core, a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or otherprogrammable logic, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), acontroller, a microcontroller, and/or another semiconductor integratedcircuit device), a volatile memory, and/or a non-volatile storagemedium. In certain embodiments, the hardware devices 102 are incommunication with one or more servers 108 of one or more third partyservice providers 108 and/or one or more backend servers 110 via a datanetwork 106, described below. The hardware devices 102, in a furtherembodiment, are capable of executing various programs, program code,applications, instructions, functions, or the like.

In one embodiment, an aggregation module 104 is configured to determineand/or receive a user's electronic credentials (e.g., username andpassword, fingerprint scan, retinal scan, digital certificate, personalidentification number (PIN), challenge response, security token,hardware token, software token, DNA sequence, signature, facialrecognition, voice pattern recognition, bio-electric signals, two-factorauthentication credentials, or the like) for one or more third partyservice providers 108. The aggregation module 104, in certainembodiments, accesses a server 108 of a third party service provider 108using a user's electronic credentials to download data associated withthe user from the server 108, such as a user's photos, a user's socialmedia posts, a user's medical records, a user's financial transactionrecords or other financial data, and/or other data associated withand/or owned by a user but stored by a server 108 of a third partyservice provider 108 (e.g., stored by hardware not owned, maintained,and/or controlled by the user). The aggregation module 104, in variousembodiments, may provide the downloaded data to the user locally (e.g.,displaying the data on an electronic display of a hardware device 102);may provide the downloaded data from the hardware device 102 of the userto and/or package the data for a remote server 110 (e.g., a backendaggregation module 104 b) or other remote device (e.g., another hardwaredevice 102 of the user, a hardware device 102 of a different user, orthe like) which may be unaffiliated with the third party serviceprovider 108; may provide one or more alerts, messages, advertisements,or other communications to the user (e.g., on a hardware device 102)based on the downloaded data; or the like.

In certain embodiments, the system 100 includes a plurality ofaggregation modules 104 disposed/located on hardware devices 102 of aplurality of different users (e.g., comprising hardware of and/orexecutable code running on one or more hardware devices 102). Theplurality of aggregation modules 104 may act as a distributed and/ordecentralized system 100, executing across multiple hardware devices102, which are geographically dispersed and using different IPaddresses, each downloading and/or aggregating data (e.g., photos,social media posts, medical records, financial transaction records,other financial data, and/or other user data) separately, in adistributed and/or decentralized manner. While a third party serviceprovider 108 (e.g., a financial institution, bank, credit union, and/orother online banking provider; a social media site; a medical provider;a photo hosting site; or the like) may block a data aggregation serviceor other entity from accessing data for a plurality of users from asingle location (e.g., a single IP address, a single block of IPaddresses, or the like), a distributed and/or decentralized swarm ofmany aggregation modules 104, in certain embodiments, may be much moredifficult for a third party service provider 108 to block.

In one embodiment, a hardware device 102 may include and/or execute aninternet browser, which a user may use to access a server 108 of a thirdparty service provider 108 (e.g., by loading a webpage of the thirdparty service provider 108 in the internet browser). At least a portionof an aggregation module 104, in certain embodiments, may comprise aplugin to and/or an extension of an internet browser of a user'spersonal hardware device 102, so that a third party service provider 108may not block the aggregation module 104 from accessing the server 108of the third party service provider 108 without also blocking the user'sown access to the server 108 using the internet browser. For example,the aggregation module 104 may use the same cookies, IP address, savedcredentials, or the like as a user would when accessing a server 108 ofa third party service provider 108 through the internet browser. Incertain embodiments, the aggregation module 104 may support integrationwith multiple different types of internet browsers (e.g., on differenthardware devices 102).

An aggregation module 104, in certain embodiments, may mimic or copy auser's behavioral pattern in accessing a server 108 of a third partyservice provider 108, to reduce a likelihood that the third partyservice provider 108 may distinguish access to the server 108 by anaggregation module 104 from access to the server 108 by a user. Forexample, an aggregation module 104 may visit one or more locations(e.g., webpages) of a server 108 of a third party service provider 108,even if the aggregation module 104 does not intend to download data fromeach of the one or more locations, may wait for a certain delay timebetween accessing different locations, may use a certain scroll pattern,or the like, to mask the aggregation module 104's downloading and/oraggregating of a user's data, to reduce the chances of being detectedand/or blocked by the third party service provider 108.

In one embodiment, at least a portion of an aggregation module 104 maybe integrated with or otherwise part of another application executing ona hardware device 102, such as a personal financial managementapplication (e.g., computer executable code for displaying a user'sfinancial transactions from multiple financial institutions, determiningand/or displaying a user's financial budgets and/or financial goals,determining and/or displaying a user's account balances, determiningand/or displaying a user's net worth, or the like), a photo viewer, amedical application, an insurance application, an accountingapplication, a social media application, or the like, which may use datathe aggregation module 104 downloads from a server 108 of a third partyservice provider 108.

In one embodiment, the aggregation modules 104 a comprise a distributedsystem 100, with the aggregation modules 104 a and/or the associatedhardware devices 102 downloading and/or aggregating data substantiallyindependently (e.g., downloading data concurrently or non-concurrently,without a global clock, with independent success and/or failure ofcomponents). Distributed aggregation modules 104 a may pass messages toeach other and/or to a backend aggregation module 104 b, to coordinatetheir distributed aggregation of data for users. In one embodiment, theaggregation modules 104 a are decentralized (e.g., hardware devices 102associated with users perform one or more aggregation functions such asdownloading data), rather than relying exclusively on a centralizedserver or other device to perform one or more aggregation functions.

In a distributed and/or decentralized system 100, a central entity, suchas a backend aggregation module 104 b and/or a backend server 110, incertain embodiments, may still provide, to one or more aggregationmodules 104 a, one or more messages comprising instructions foraccessing a server 108 of a third party service provider 108 using auser's credentials, or the like. For example, a backend aggregationmodule 104 b may provide one or more aggregation modules 104 a of one ormore hardware devices 102 with one or more sets of instructions foraccessing a server 108 of a third party service 108, such as a locationfor entering a user's electronic credentials (e.g., a text box, a field,a label, a coordinate, or the like), an instruction for submitting auser's electronic credentials (e.g., a button to press, a link to click,or the like), one or more locations of data associated with a user(e.g., a row in a table or chart, a column in a table or chart, auniform resource locator (URL) or other address, a coordinate, a label,or the like), and/or other instructions or information, using which theaggregation modules 104 a may access and download a user's data.

In a further embodiment, one or more aggregation modules 104 a may passmessages to each other, such as instructions for accessing a server 108of a third party service provider 108 using a user's credentials, or thelike, in a peer-to-peer manner. In another embodiment, a central entity,such as a backend aggregation module 104 b, may initially seed one ormore sets of instructions for accessing a server 108 of a third partyservice provider 108 using a user's credentials to one or moreaggregation modules 104 a, and the one or more aggregation modules 104 amay send the one or more sets of instructions to other aggregationmodules 104 a.

Instructions for accessing a user's data, however, in certainembodiments, may change over time, may vary for different users of athird party service provider 108, or the like (e.g., due to upgrades,different service levels or servers 108 for different users,acquisitions and/or consolidation of different third party serviceproviders 108, or the like), causing certain instructions to fail overtime and/or for certain users, preventing an aggregation module 104 fromaccessing and downloading a user's data. A backend aggregation module104 b, in one embodiment, may provide one or more aggregation modules104 a with a hierarchical list of multiple sets of instructions, knownto have enabled access to a user's data from a server 108 of a thirdparty service provider 108. An aggregation module 104 a on a hardwaredevice 102 may try different sets of instructions in hierarchical order,until the aggregation module 104 a is able to access a user's data.

An aggregation module 104, in certain embodiments, may provide aninterface to a user allowing the user to repair or fix failedinstructions for accessing the user's data, by graphically identify aninput location for the user's electronic credentials, an instruction forsubmitting a user's electronic credentials, a location of dataassociated with the user, or the like. An aggregation module 104, in oneembodiment, may highlight or otherwise suggest (e.g., bold, color,depict a visual comment or label, or the like) an estimate which theaggregation module 104 has determined of an input location for theuser's electronic credentials, an instruction for submitting a user'selectronic credentials, a location of data associated with the user, orthe like. For example, an aggregation module 104 may process a web pageof a server 108 of a third party service provider 108 (e.g., parseand/or search a hypertext markup language (HTML) file) to estimate aninput location for the user's electronic credentials, an instruction forsubmitting a user's electronic credentials, a location of dataassociated with the user, or the like.

An aggregation module 104, in certain embodiments, may provide anadvanced interface for a user to graphically repair broken and/or failedinstructions for accessing a user's data from a server 108 of a thirdparty service provider 108, which allows a user to view code of awebpage (e.g., HTML or the like) and to identify an input location forthe user's electronic credentials, an instruction for submitting auser's electronic credentials, a location of data associated with theuser, or the like within the code of the webpage. In one embodiment, anaggregation module 104 may provide a basic interface for a user tographically repair broken and/or failed instructions for accessing auser's data from a server 108 of a third party service provider 108 byoverlaying a basic interface over a web page or other location of theserver 108 wherein the user may graphically identify an input locationfor the user's electronic credentials, an instruction for submitting auser's electronic credentials, a location of data associated with theuser, or the like (e.g., without requiring the user to view HTML orother code of the web page). An aggregation module 104, in certainembodiments, may provide an interface that includes a selectable list ofbroken and/or missing instructions, locations, or the like, and mayhighlight and/or display suggestions graphically in response to a userselecting an item from the list.

An aggregation module 104, in one embodiment, may test instructionsprovided by users (e.g., using a test set) before allowing each of theaggregation modules 104 a to use the provided instructions (e.g., toprevent an abusive user from providing false or incorrect instructions).An aggregation module 104 may score or rate users based on a successrate of the users' provided instructions, and may expedite (e.g.,provide to a greater number of aggregation modules 104 a and/or users)the use of instructions from users with a higher score or rating. Thedistributed network of aggregation modules 104, in certain embodiments,may thereby be self-healing and/or self-testing, allowing continuedaccess to and/or aggregation of users' data from one or more third partyservice providers 108, even if access instructions change or becomebroken.

The one or more aggregation modules 104, in certain embodiments, mayprovide an interface (e.g., an application programming interface (API))to provide downloaded and/or aggregated user data from servers 108 ofone or more third party service providers 108 to one or more otherentities (e.g., a remote server 110 or other hardware device 102unaffiliated with the third party service provider 108, a backendaggregation module 104 b, or the like). The interface, in oneembodiment, comprises a private interface between aggregation modules104 a of users' hardware devices 102 and one or more backend aggregationmodules 104 b. For example, this may enable a backend aggregation module104 b to provide a user with access to downloaded and/or aggregated userdata at multiple locations, on multiple hardware devices 102, throughmultiple channels, or the like, even if the user's hardware device 102which downloaded the data is turned off, out of battery, not connectedto the data network 106, or the like. In another embodiment, theinterface comprises a public and/or open interface, which may besecured, allowing a user to share the user's downloaded data from anaggregation module 104 to one or more other tools, services, and/orother entities to store, process, and/or otherwise use the data.

In various embodiments, an aggregation module 104 may be embodied ashardware, software, or some combination of hardware and software. In oneembodiment, an aggregation module 104 may comprise executable programcode stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium forexecution on a processor of a hardware device 102, a backend server 110,or the like. For example, an aggregation module 104 may be embodied asexecutable program code executing on one or more of a hardware device102, a backend server 110, a combination of one or more of theforegoing, or the like. In such an embodiment, the various modules thatperform the operations of an aggregation module 104, as described below,may be located on a hardware device 102, a backend server 110, acombination of the two, and/or the like.

In various embodiments, an aggregation module 104 may be embodied as ahardware appliance that can be installed or deployed on a backend server110, on a user's hardware device 102 (e.g., a dongle, a protective casefor a phone 102 or tablet 102 that includes one or more semiconductorintegrated circuit devices within the case in communication with thephone 102 or tablet 102 wirelessly and/or over a data port such as USBor a proprietary communications port, or another peripheral device), orelsewhere on the data network 106 and/or collocated with a user'shardware device 102. In certain embodiments, an aggregation module 104may comprise a hardware device such as a secure hardware dongle or otherhardware appliance device (e.g., a set-top box, a network appliance, orthe like) that attaches to another hardware device 102, such as a laptopcomputer, a server, a tablet computer, a smart phone, or the like,either by a wired connection (e.g., a USB connection) or a wirelessconnection (e.g., Bluetooth®, WiFi®, near-field communication (NFC), orthe like); that attaches to an electronic display device (e.g., atelevision or monitor using an HDMI port, a DisplayPort port, a MiniDisplayPort port, VGA port, DVI port, or the like); that operatessubstantially independently on a data network 106; or the like. Ahardware appliance of an aggregation module 104 may comprise a powerinterface, a wired and/or wireless network interface, a graphicalinterface (e.g., a graphics card and/or GPU with one or more displayports) that outputs to a display device, and/or a semiconductorintegrated circuit device as described below, configured to perform thefunctions described herein with regard to an aggregation module 104.

An aggregation module 104, in such an embodiment, may comprise asemiconductor integrated circuit device (e.g., one or more chips, die,or other discrete logic hardware), or the like, such as afield-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic,firmware for an FPGA or other programmable logic, microcode forexecution on a microcontroller, an application-specific integratedcircuit (ASIC), a processor, a processor core, or the like. In oneembodiment, an aggregation module 104 may be mounted on a printedcircuit board with one or more electrical lines or connections (e.g., tovolatile memory, a non-volatile storage medium, a network interface, aperipheral device, a graphical/display interface. The hardware appliancemay include one or more pins, pads, or other electrical connectionsconfigured to send and receive data (e.g., in communication with one ormore electrical lines of a printed circuit board or the like), and oneor more hardware circuits and/or other electrical circuits configured toperform various functions of an aggregation module 104.

The semiconductor integrated circuit device or other hardware applianceof an aggregation module 104, in certain embodiments, comprises and/oris communicatively coupled to one or more volatile memory media, whichmay include but is not limited to: random access memory (RAM), dynamicRAM (DRAM), cache, or the like. In one embodiment, the semiconductorintegrated circuit device or other hardware appliance of an aggregationmodule 104 comprises and/or is communicatively coupled to one or morenon-volatile memory media, which may include but is not limited to: NANDflash memory, NOR flash memory, nano random access memory (nano RAM orNRAM), nanocrystal wire-based memory, silicon-oxide based sub-10nanometer process memory, graphene memory,Silicon-Oxide-Nitride-Oxide-Silicon (SONOS), resistive RAM (RRAM),programmable metallization cell (PMC), conductive-bridging RAM (CBRAM),magneto-resistive RAM (MRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), phase change RAM (PRAMor PCM), magnetic storage media (e.g., hard disk, tape), optical storagemedia, or the like.

The data network 106, in one embodiment, includes a digitalcommunication network that transmits digital communications. The datanetwork 106 may include a wireless network, such as a wireless cellularnetwork, a local wireless network, such as a Wi-Fi network, a Bluetooth®network, a near-field communication (NFC) network, an ad hoc network,and/or the like. The data network 106 may include a wide area network(WAN), a storage area network (SAN), a local area network (LAN), anoptical fiber network, the internet, or other digital communicationnetwork. The data network 106 may include two or more networks. The datanetwork 106 may include one or more servers, routers, switches, and/orother networking equipment. The data network 106 may also include one ormore computer readable storage media, such as a hard disk drive, anoptical drive, non-volatile memory, RAM, or the like.

The one or more third party service providers 108, in one embodiment,may include one or more network accessible computing systems such as oneor more web servers hosting one or more web sites, an enterpriseintranet system, an application server, an application programminginterface (API) server, an authentication server, or the like. The oneor more third party service providers 108 may include systems related tovarious institutions or organizations. For example, a third partyservice provider 108 may include a system providing electronic access toa financial institution, a university, a government agency, a utilitycompany, an email provider, a social media site, a photo sharing site, avideo sharing site, a data storage site, a medical provider, or anotherentity that stores data associated with a user. A third party serviceprovider 108 may allow users to create user accounts to upload, view,create, and/or modify data associated with the user. Accordingly, athird party service provider 108 may include an authorization system,such as a login element or page of a web site, application, or similarfront-end, where a user can provide credentials, such as ausername/password combination, to access the user's data.

In one embodiment, the one or more backend servers 110 and/or one ormore backend aggregation modules 104 b provide central management of thenetworked swarm of aggregation modules 104 a. For example, the one ormore backend aggregation modules 104 b and/or a backend server 110 maystore downloaded user data from the aggregation modules 104 a centrally,may provide instructions for the aggregation modules 104 a to accessuser data from one or more third party service providers 108 using usercredentials, or the like. A backend server 110 may include one or moreservers located remotely from the hardware devices 102 and/or the one ormore third party service providers 108. A backend server 110 may includeat least a portion of the modules or sub-modules described below withregard to the aggregation modules 104 of FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, may comprisehardware of an aggregation module 104, may store executable program codeof an aggregation module 104 in one or more non-transitory computerreadable storage media, and/or may otherwise perform one or more of thevarious operations of an aggregation module 104 described herein inorder to aggregate user data from one or more third party serviceproviders in a distributed manner.

FIG. 2 depicts one embodiment of an aggregation module 104. In thedepicted embodiment, the aggregation module 104 includes anauthentication module 202, a direct access module 204, and an interfacemodule 206.

In one embodiment, the authentication module 202 receives a user'selectronic credentials for a third party service provider 108 from theuser on a hardware device 102 of the user. In a further embodiment, theauthentication module 202 may receive electronic credentials for adifferent user (e.g., from a different hardware device 102, from abackend aggregation module 104, or the like), which may be encryptedand/or otherwise secured, so that the direct access module 204 maydownload data for the different user (e.g., downloading data formultiple users from a single user's hardware device 102).

For example, in the distributed/decentralized system 100, if one user'shardware device 102 is turned off, asleep, out of battery, blocked by athird party service provider 108, or the like, in certain embodiments,an aggregation module 202 on a different user's hardware device 102and/or on a backend server 110 may download data for the one user, usingthe one user's electronic credentials, and may send the data to the oneuser's hardware device 102, may send an alert and/or push notificationto the one user's hardware device 102, or the like. In this manner, inone embodiment, a user may continue to aggregate data, receive alertsand/or push notifications, or the like, even if the user's own hardwaredevice 102 is blocked, unavailable, or the like. In cooperation with oneor more authentication modules 202, the aggregation modules 104 a, 104b, in certain embodiments, may communicate with each other using asecure and/or encrypted protocol, and/or may store electroniccredentials in a secure and/or encrypted manner, so that a user may notsee and/or access another user's electronic credentials, downloadeddata, or other private and/or sensitive data.

In embodiments where an aggregation module 104 comprises hardware (e.g.,a semiconductor integrated circuit device such as an FPGA, an ASIC, orthe like), the authentication module 202 may comprise dedicated securityhardware for storing and/or processing electronic credentials,downloaded data, and/or other sensitive and/or private data, such as asecure cryptoprocessor (e.g., a dedicated computer on a chip ormicroprocessor embedded in a packaging with one or more physicalsecurity measures) which does not output decrypted data to an unsecurebus or storage, which stores cryptographic keys, a secure storagedevice; a trusted platform module (TPM) such as a TPM chip and/or TPMsecurity device; a secure boot ROM or other type of ROM; anauthentication chip; or the like. In another embodiment, theauthentication module 202 may store and/or process electroniccredentials, downloaded data, and/or other sensitive data in a secureand/or encrypted way using software and/or hardware of a user's existinghardware device 102 (e.g., encrypting data in RAM, NAND, and/or othergeneral purpose storage) with or without dedicated security hardware. Incertain embodiments, the authentication module 202 may encrypt and/orsecure data (e.g., electronic credentials, downloaded data) associatedwith a first user that is received by, processed by, and/or stored by asecond (e.g., different) user's hardware device 102 (e.g., from thefirst user's hardware device 102 over the data network 106 or the like),preventing the second user from accessing the first user's data whilestill allowing the first user's data to be downloaded and/or aggregatedfrom a different user's hardware device 102.

In one embodiment, as described above, electronic credentials maycomprise one or more of a username and password, fingerprint scan,retinal scan, digital certificate, personal identification number (PIN),challenge response, security token, hardware token, software token, DNAsequence, signature, facial recognition, voice pattern recognition,bio-electric signals, two-factor authentication credentials, or otherinformation whereby the authentication module 202 may authenticateand/or validate an identity of and/or an authorization of a user.

The authentication module 202, in certain embodiments, may receivedifferent credentials from a user for different accounts of the userwith different third party service providers 108 (e.g., different socialnetworks, different photo sharing sites, different financialinstitutions) so that the aggregation module 104 may download,aggregate, and/or combine the user's data from the multiple differentthird party service providers 108. In one embodiment, as described belowwith regard to the password manager module 306 of FIG. 3, theauthentication module 202, instead of and/or in addition to receivingone or more passwords or other electronic credentials from a user, maymanage and/or determine one or more passwords or other electroniccredentials for a user for one or more third party service providers108. For example, in certain embodiments, the authentication module 202may receive an initial set of electronic credentials (e.g., a usernameand a password) from a user for an account of the user with a thirdparty service provider 108, and the authentication module 202 may usethe initial set of electronic credentials to access the user's accountwith the third party service provider 108 to set a new password,determined by the authentication module 202. The authentication module202, in one embodiment, may determine passwords or other electroniccredentials that are more secure than those typically created by and/ormemorable to a user (e.g., longer, more numbers, greater variationbetween capital and lowercase letters, more frequently changed, or thelike).

In one embodiment, the direct access module 204 accesses one or moreservers 108 of one or more third party service providers 108, from ahardware device 102 of a user and/or from a backend server 110, using auser's electronic credentials from the authentication module 202 (e.g.,for the user associated with the hardware device 102, for a differentuser, or the like). The direct access module 204, in certainembodiments, downloads data associated with a user (e.g., a user'ssocial media posts, a user's photos, a user's financial transactions, orthe like) from one or more servers 108 of one or more third partyservice providers 108 to a hardware device 102 of a user (e.g., of theuser associated with the downloaded data, of a different user forprocessing and/or for transfer to the hardware device 102 of the userassociated with the downloaded data, or the like) and/or to a backendserver 110 associated with the direct access module 204, instead of orin addition to downloading the data directly to a hardware device 102 ofthe user (e.g., based on an availability of the hardware device 102 ofthe user, to backup the data in a second location, or the like).

The direct access module 204, in certain embodiments, may use a webpageinterface of a server 108 of a third party service provider 108 toaccess the server 108 using a user's electronic credentials and/or todownload data associated with the user. For example, in certainembodiments, the direct access module 204 may download/load a webpagefrom a server 108 of a third party service provider 108, enter ausername and password or other electronic credentials for a user intotextboxes in a form on the webpage, submit the username and password orother electronic credentials using a submit button or other interfaceelement of the webpage, and/or otherwise submit electronic credentialsusing a website to gain authorized access to data on the server 108associated with the user. As described below, the pattern module 308 mayreceive and/or provide instructions enabling the direct access module204 to access a server 108 (e.g., a location or method for submittingelectronic credentials, or the like).

In response to successfully authenticating with and accessing a server108 of a third party service provider 108 with a user's electroniccredentials, the direct access module 204 may download data associatedwith the user (e.g., from a user's account or the like) from the server108, to a hardware device 102 associated with the user, to a backendserver 110, to a hardware device 102 of another user downloading thedata in proxy for the user, or the like. As described below, in certainembodiments, the pattern module 308 may receive and/or provideinstructions enabling the direct access module 204 to download dataassociated with a user from a server 108 of a third party serviceprovider 108 (e.g., a URL or other link to a location for the data, alabel or other identifier for locating the data within one or morewebpages or other data structures, or the like). The direct accessmodule 204, in certain embodiments, may follow instructions from apattern module 308 to authenticate and/or access data from one or morewebpages from a server 108 in a screen scraping manner, parsing one ormore webpages to locate an entry location and/or submit electroniccredentials; to locate, download, and/or extract data associated with auser; or the like.

In one embodiment, the direct access module 204 sends or otherwisesubmits electronic credentials and/or receives or otherwise downloadsdata using an API or other access protocol of a server 108 of a thirdparty service provider 108. For example, the direct access module 204may send a request in a format specified by and/or compatible with aserver 108 (e.g., an API server 108) of a third party service provider108. The sent request may comprise electronic credentials for a user ora portion thereof (e.g., a username and/or a password), a subsequentrequest may comprise electronic credentials for a user or a portionthereof (e.g., in response to receiving an acknowledgment from theserver 108 for the first request, or the like), and/or the direct accessmodule 204 may use a different access protocol of a server 108.

In response to a request for data from the direct access module 204(e.g., in response to the direct access module 204 authenticating a userusing an access protocol of a server 108), a server 108 of a third partyservice provider 108 may send and/or return data associated with a user(e.g., in one or more messages, packets, payloads, as a URL or otherpointer to a location from where the direct access module 204 mayretrieve the data, or the like). The direct access module 204, invarious embodiments, may receive data associated with a user directlyfrom a server 108 of a third party service provider 108 over a datanetwork 106; may receive a pointer, URL or other link to a location ofdata associated with a user from a server 108 of a third party serviceprovider 108; may receive data associated with a user from anotherentity on a data network 106 (e.g., in response to a request from theserver 108 of the third party service provider 108 to the other entityor the like); or may otherwise receive data associated with a useraccording to an access protocol of a third party service provider 108.

In one embodiment, a third party service provider 108 provides a directaccess module 204 with an API or other access protocol. In a furtherembodiment, a direct access module 204 may act as a wrapper for and/or aplugin or extension of, an application of a third party service provider108 (e.g., a mobile application), and the application may have access toan API or other access protocol of the third party service provider 108.In another embodiment, a direct access module 204 may be configured touse an API or other access protocol in a same manner as an applicationof a third party service provider 108 (e.g., a mobile application),through observation of the application of the third party serviceprovider 108 or the like. In certain embodiments, a direct access module204 may cooperate with an application of a third party service provider108, a web browser through which a user accesses services of a thirdparty service provider 108, or the like to access data associated with auser (e.g., accessing data already downloaded by an application and/oruser, accessing a database or other data store of an application and/orweb browser, scanning and/or screen scraping a web page of a third partyservice provider 108 as a user accesses the web page, or the like).

The direct access module 204, in certain embodiments, may accessdifferent third party service providers 108 in different manners. Forexample, a first third party service provider 108 may grant the directaccess module 204 with access to an API or other access protocol, whilethe direct access module 204 may use a web page interface (e.g., screenscraping) to access and download data from a second third party serviceprovider 108, or the like. In one embodiment, a remote backend server110 may be associated with a first party service provider 110 (e.g., avendor and/or provider of an aggregation module 104) and the directaccess module 204 may download data associated with a user from both thefirst party service provider 110 and from one or more third partyservice providers 108, aggregating the data together so that the usermay access the data in a single interface and/or application. Forexample, as described below with regard to the interface module 206, theinterface module 206 may provide a user access to the user's photos frommultiple third party cloud storage providers 108 within a single photoapplication, may provide a user with access to the user's personalfinancial information within a single personal financial managementapplication and/or online banking application, may provide a user withaccess to posts from multiple social networks within a single socialnetworking application, or the like.

The direct access module 204, in certain embodiments, may storedownloaded and/or aggregated data independently from the one or morethird party service providers 108. For example, the direct access module204 may store a user's downloaded and/or aggregated data on a hardwaredevice 102 of the user, on a backend server 110 accessible by the user,or the like. In this manner, in certain embodiments, a user may controland/or access the user's data, even if a third party service provider108 closes down or is not available, may use the user's data in anymanner desired by the user even if the use is not supported by a thirdparty service provider 108, or the like.

The direct access module 204, in one embodiment, in addition to and/orinstead of downloading data from one or more third party serviceproviders 108, may upload data to and/or change one or more settings ofone or more third party service providers 108, in response to user inputor the like. For example, in embodiments where the data comprisesphotos, the direct access module 204 may upload a photo from a hardwaredevice 102 of the user to one or more third party service providers 110(e.g., a downloaded photo that the user has edited on the hardwaredevice 102 or the like). In embodiments where the data comprises socialmedia posts or other content, the direct access module 204 may receiveinput from a user (e.g., a photo, a textual post, one or more emoji, avideo, a document or other file, or the like) and upload the receivedinput to one or more third party service providers 108 (e.g., socialmedia sites or the like). In embodiments where the data comprisesfinancial transactions or other financial data, the direct access module204 may schedule a bill pay or other payment or funds transfer, remotelydeposit a check (e.g., by uploading photos of the front and/or back ofthe check, or the like), and/or perform another action.

The direct access module 204 may update or change a user's accountinformation with a third party service provider 108, such as an accounttype or plan, credit card or other payment information associated withan account, a phone number or address or other contact informationassociated with an account, a password or other electronic credentialsfor an account, and/or other account information of a user for a thirdparty service provider 108. The direct access module 204 may updateand/or upload data in a substantially similar manner to that describedherein for downloading data (e.g., determining a user's electroniccredentials for a third party service provider 108, accessing a server108 of the third party service provider 108, uploading and/or providingdata to the third party service provider 108, or the like).

In one embodiment, the interface module 206 provides a user's datadownloaded by the direct access module 204, from a hardware device 102of a user (e.g., of the user associated with the downloaded data, of adifferent user) to another entity, such as a hardware device 102 of auser associated with the downloaded data (e.g., in response to the databeing downloaded by a hardware device 102 of a different user, from onehardware device 102 of a user to another hardware device 102 of the sameuser), a remote server 110 or other remote device 102 unaffiliated with(e.g., not owned by, operated by, controlled by, or the like) the thirdparty service provider 108 from which the data was downloaded, or thelike. For example, the interface module 206 may provide an API or otherinterface to provide a user's downloaded and/or aggregated data to ahardware device 102 of the user, to a backend aggregation module 104 b,to a backend server 110, to a different third party service provider108, to a different/second hardware device 102 of the user, or the like.

In certain embodiments, it may be transparent and/or substantiallytransparent to a user (e.g., not apparent) which hardware device 102,110 has downloaded data associated with the user. For example, theinterface module 206 may provide downloaded data associated with a userfrom one hardware device 102 of the user to another hardware device 102of the user, from a hardware device 102 of the user to a backend server110 (e.g., from which the user may access the data using a web browser,an application, or the like), from a backend server 110 to a hardwaredevice 102 of the user, or the like, allowing the user to access thedata from a different location than the location to which the data wasdownloaded.

In certain embodiments, the interface module 206 provides a graphicaluser interface (GUI) on a hardware device 102 of a user, and providesdownloaded data associated with the user to the user through the GUI(e.g., allowing the user to view the data directly, providing one ormore notifications and/or recommendations to the user based on the data,providing one or more tables or charts to the user based on the data,providing a summary of or one or more statistics related to the data, orthe like). The interface module 206, in various embodiments, may providea GUI to the user from the same hardware device 102 to which the datawas downloaded, on a different hardware device 102 than the hardwaredevice 102, 110 to which the data was downloaded, or the like.

For example, in one embodiments, where the data associated with a usercomprises photos, the interface module 206 may provide a photomanagement interface, a photo editing interface, or the like wherein theuser may view and/or otherwise access the user's downloaded and/oraggregated photos. In a further embodiment, where the data associatedwith a user comprises the user's financial transaction history (e.g.,purchases and/or other financial transactions downloaded from one ormore financial institutions 108 such as banks, credit unions, lenders,or the like), the interface module 206 may provide a personal financialmanagement interface, with a list of transactions, one or more budgets,one or more financial goals, a debt management interface, a net worthinterface, and/or another personal financial management interfacewherein the user may view the user's downloaded and/or aggregatedfinancial transaction history, and/or alerts or recommendations basedthereon. In another embodiment, where the data associated with a usercomprises social media posts, the interface module 206 may provide a GUIcomprising a stream, feed, and/or wall of social media posts for theuser to view (e.g., downloaded and/or aggregated social media posts frommultiple social networks 108, from different contacts or friends of theuser, or the like).

The interface module 206, in certain embodiments, may provide one ormore access controls to a user, allowing the user to define whichdevices 102, users, third party service providers 110, or the like mayaccess which data. For example, the interface module 206 may provide aninterface for a user to allow and/or restrict certain mobileapplications, certain APIs for third party services, certain plugins orextensions, certain users, certain hardware devices 102, and/or one ormore other entities to access data downloaded for the user from one ormore third party service providers 108 (e.g., with access controls bythird party service provider 108 or other data source, by data type, byentity requesting access, and/or at another granularity). In thismanner, the aggregation module 104, in certain embodiments, may comprisea local repository of aggregated data, which one or more other devices102 and/or services may access and use, with a user's permission.

FIG. 3 depicts another embodiment of an aggregation module 104. In thedepicted embodiment, the aggregation module 104 includes anauthentication module 202, a direct access module 204, and an interfacemodule 206 and further includes a route module 314, a frequency module316, and a test module 318. The authentication module 202, in thedepicted embodiment, includes a local authentication module 302, anetwork authentication module 304, and a password manager module 306.The direct access module 204, in the depicted embodiment, includes apattern module 308, an access repair module 310, and a hierarchy module312.

In one embodiment, the local authentication module 302 secures and/orauthenticates the user's access to downloaded data, to stored passwords,and/or other data on a user's hardware device 102, transferred to and/orfrom a user's hardware device 102, or the like. For example, the localauthentication module 302 may cooperate with one or more security and/orauthentication systems of the user's hardware device 102, such as a PIN,password, fingerprint authentication, facial recognition, or otherelectronic credentials used by the user to gain access to the hardwaredevice 102. In a further embodiment, the local authentication module 302may authenticate a user before allowing the interface module 206 toprovide the user access to downloaded/aggregated data and/or alerts orother messages. For example, the local authentication module 302 maymanage and/or access electronic credentials associated with theaggregation module 104, for a user, and may authenticate the user inresponse to the user accessing an application and/or service of theaggregation module 104.

In certain embodiments, the local authentication module 302 may encryptand/or otherwise secure, on a user's hardware device 102, electroniccredentials and/or downloaded data associated with a different user, sothat the user may not access data associated with the different user,but the different user may access the data once it is transmitted to ahardware device 102 of the different user, to a backend server 110, orthe like. Local authentication modules 302 of different hardware devices102, 110 may cooperate to securely transfer data (e.g., one or moreelectronic credentials, downloaded data, or the like) over the datanetwork 106, from one hardware device 102, 110 to another hardwaredevice 102, 110. In a further embodiment, the local authenticationmodule 302 may ensure that a user's electronic credentials and/ordownloaded data remain on a single hardware device 102 (e.g., are nottransmitted on a data network 106), in a secure repository or the like,and are not stored on and/or accessible to a backend server 110, ahardware device 102 of another user, or the like.

In one embodiment, the network authentication module 304 receives and/orstores a user's electronic credentials for one or more third partyservice providers 108 on a hardware device 102 of the user, on a backendserver 110, or the like. The network authentication module 304, invarious embodiments, may receive a user's electronic credentials fromthe user, from a hardware device 102 of the user, from a backend server110, or the like. The network authentication module 304 may cooperatewith the direct access module 204 to provide a user's electroniccredentials to a server 108 of a third party service provider 108 (e.g.,the network authentication module 304 may provide electronic credentialsto the direct access module 204 to provide to a server 108, the networkauthentication module 304 may provide electronic credentials directly toa server 108, or the like).

The network authentication module 304, in certain embodiments, maycooperate with the local authentication module 302 to encrypt and/orotherwise secure a user's electronic credentials for one or more thirdparty service providers 108, on a hardware device 102 of a user, on adata network 106, on a hardware device 102 of a different user, on abackend server 110, while being provided to a server 108 of a thirdparty service provider 108, or the like. In a further embodiment, thenetwork authentication module 304 ensures that a user's electroniccredentials are only stored on a user's hardware device 102 and sentfrom the user's hardware device 102 to a server 108 of a third partyservice provider 108, and does not store a user's electronic credentialson a backend server 110, on a different user's hardware device 102, orthe like. In another embodiment, the network authentication module 304may securely store (e.g., using secure encryption) a user's electroniccredentials for a third party service provider 108 on a backend server110, on a different user's hardware device 102, or the like, so that adirect access module 204 may access and/or download data associated withthe user, even if the hardware device 102 of the user is unavailable,blocked, or the like, as described below with regard to the route module314. In certain embodiments, whether the network authentication module304 and/or the local authentication module 302 allow electroniccredentials to be sent to and/or stored by a different user's hardwaredevice 102, a backend server 110, or the like may be based on a settingdefined based on user input, so that the user may decide a level ofsecurity, or the like.

In one embodiment, the password manager module 306 may manage and/orstore electronic credentials of a user for a plurality of third partyservice providers 108, so that the direct access module 204 may accessand/or download data associated with the user from each of the pluralityof third party service providers 108. The password manager module 306,in certain embodiments, may generate and/or otherwise manage different,secure, credentials for each of a plurality of third party serviceproviders 108.

The password manager module 306, in one embodiment, may securely storegenerated credentials for a user on a hardware device 102 of the user,so that the user does not have to remember and enter the generatedelectronic credentials. For example, in addition to allowing a directaccess module 204 to access a third party service provider 108 usinggenerated electronic credentials, the password manager module 306 mayautomatically populate one or more interface elements of a form on awebpage with electronic credentials (e.g., a username, a password) ofthe user, in response to the user visiting the web page in a webbrowser, or the like, without the user manually entering the electroniccredentials. The password manager module 306, in certain embodiments,may periodically update (e.g., regenerate different credentials, such asa different password, and update the user's account with the third partyservice provider 108 with the regenerated different credentials)electronic credentials for a user, such as every week, every month,every two months, every three months, every four months, every fivemonths, every six months, every year, every two years, in response to auser request, in response to a request from a third party serviceprovider 108, and/or over another time period or in response to anotherperiodic trigger.

The password manager module 306, in one embodiment, may synchronize auser's electronic credentials (e.g., provided by the user, generated bythe password manager module 306, or the like) across different hardwaredevices 102, web browsers, or the like of a user. For example, inresponse to a password manager module 306 and/or the user updating orotherwise changing electronic credentials, the password manager module306 may propagate the update/change to one or more other passwordmanager modules 306, on different hardware devices 102 of the user, orthe like.

In one embodiment, the pattern module 308 determines an ordered list(e.g., a pattern, a script, or the like) of multiple locations on one ormore servers 108 of a third party service provider 108 for the directaccess module 204 to access the server (e.g., which may includelocations other than where the data of the user is stored and/oraccessible), one or more delays for the direct access module 204 to waitbetween accessing locations on the server 108, and/or other componentsof an access pattern for accessing data of a server. Locations, incertain embodiments, comprise independently addressable and/oraccessible content and/or assets provided by one or more servers of athird party service provider 108, or the like, such as webpages,portions of a webpage, images or other data files, databases or otherdata stores, pages or sections of a mobile application, or the like. Thepattern module 308, in one embodiment, determines a pattern/ordered listthat contains one or more locations and/or delays that are not necessaryfor the direct access module 204 to access or use in order to downloaddesired data, but instead, the pattern/ordered list may make itdifficult or impossible for the third party service provider 108 todistinguish between the direct access module 204 accessing a server ofthe third party service provider 108 and a user accessing the server ofthe third party service provider.

The pattern module 308, in one embodiment, may determine and/or selectthe multiple locations and/or the one or more delays (e.g., apattern/ordered list) based on an average pattern or a combined patternidentified in or based on behavior of multiple users accessing a thirdparty service provider 108 using a web browser, a mobile application, orthe like. The pattern module 308, in one embodiment, may monitor one ormore users (e.g., for a predetermined period of time or the like) asthey access a server of a third party service provider 108, trackingwhich links, data, webpages, and/or other locations the one or moreusers access, how long the one or more users access different locations,an order in which the one or more users access locations, or the like.In certain embodiments, the one or more monitored users may bevolunteers, who have provided the pattern module 308 with authorizationto temporarily or permanently monitor the users' access, in order toprovide a more realistic access pattern for the direct access module 204to use to access a server of a third party service provider 108.

In a further embodiment, the pattern module 308 determines and/orselects multiple locations and/or one or more delays between accessingdifferent locations based on a pattern identified in behavior of theuser associated with the hardware device 102 on which the pattern module308 is disposed, accessing the third party service using a web browser,a mobile or desktop application, or other interface of the user'shardware device 102. For example, the pattern module 308 may comprisenetwork hardware of the user's hardware device 102 (e.g., a networkaccess card and/or chip, a processor, an FPGA, an ASIC, or the like incommunication with the data network 106 to monitor data and/orinteractions with a server of a third party service provider 108), a webbrowser plugin or extension, a mobile and/or desktop applicationexecuting on a processor of the user's hardware device 102, or the like.The pattern module 308 may request and receive authorization from theuser to monitor the user's activity with regard to one or more serversof one or more third party service providers 108 from the user'shardware device 102.

The pattern module 308, in certain embodiments, may update apattern/ordered list over time, based on detected changes in accesspatterns of one or more users or the like. In one embodiment, thepattern module 308 may coordinate and/or cooperate with the accessrepair module 310, described below, to update a pattern/ordered list inresponse to a server 108 of a third party service provider 108 and/ordata associated with a user becoming broken and/or inaccessible.

In one embodiment, the access repair module 310 detects that access to aserver 108 of a third party service 108 and/or data associated with auser is broken and/or becomes inaccessible. The access repair module310, in certain embodiments, provides an interface to a user allowingthe user to graphically identify an input location for the user'selectronic credentials, a location of data associated with the user, orthe like. For example, the access repair module 310 may provide a GUI, acommand line interface (CLI), an API, and/or another interface allowingan end user to identify an input location for electronic credentials, anaction for submitting electronic credentials, a location of data, or thelike. The access repair module 310, in one embodiment, provides aninterface to a user on a hardware device 102 of the user.

In certain embodiments, for example, the access repair module 310 mayoverlay an interface over one or more pages of a website of a thirdparty service provider 108 on an electronic display screen of a user'shardware device 102, as described in greater detail below with regard toFIGS. 5A-5B. The access repair module 310 may provide one or moreinterfaces (e.g., GUIs, CLIs, APIs, overlays, or the like) to multipleusers, allowing multiple users to define a repair and/or update foraccess to a server of a third party service provider 108 (e.g., in adistributed and/or decentralized manner, from different hardware devices102 or the like over a network 106).

The access repair module 310, in certain embodiments, may determineand/or display one or more suggestions 504 and/or recommendations 504for the user, which the user may either confirm or change/correct (e.g.,in a basic interface, a standard interface, a beginning user interface,or the like). For example, the access repair module 310 may display oneor more interface elements with a suggested location for a user to entera user name, a suggested location for a user to enter a password, asuggested credential submit action, a suggested location of dataassociated with the user, and/or one or more other interface elementsallowing a user to graphically identify one or more locations within aweb site of a third party service provider 108.

The access repair module 310, in certain embodiments, processes one ormore pages of and/or other locations on a server 108 (e.g., one or morewebsites, web apps, or the like) to determine an estimate and/orprediction of an input location for a user's electronic credentials, anaction for submitting a user's electronic credentials, a location ofdata associated with a user, or the like. In one embodiment, the accessrepair module 310 may estimate one or more locations and/or actions(e.g., by scanning and/or parsing one or more pages of a website, basedon input from other users accessing one or more pages of a website,based on previous interactions of the user with one or more pages of awebsite, a prediction made using a machine learning and/or artificialintelligence analysis of a website, based on a statistical analysis ofhistorical changes to one or more pages of a website and/or of one ormore similar websites, or the like). The access repair module 310 maydisplay to a user in an interface an estimate and/or prediction of aninput location for the user's electronic credentials, a location of dataassociated with the user, or the like so that the user may confirmwhether or not the estimate and/or prediction is correct using theinterface.

The access repair module 310 may indicate one or more estimatedlocations and/or actions with an arrow or other pointer to a location; alink or other identifier of a location; a box or other highlightingaround a location; by altering text labeling for a location to make thetext bold, italic, and/or underlined; or the like. A user, in certainembodiments, may click, select, or otherwise identify a location toeither confirm or change/correct a location suggested by the accessrepair module 310. For example, a user may click or otherwise select aninterface element associated with a location and/or action and may clickor otherwise select the location and/or perform the action, which theaccess repair module 310 may record (e.g., automatically populating atext field identifying the location and/or action, recording a macroallowing the action to be automatically repeated without the user, for adifferent user, or the like).

In certain embodiments, instead of or in addition to a standard, basic,or beginning user interface, the access repair module 310 may provide anadvanced interface, for experienced users or the like, with source codeof a website and/or other details of the website. For example, in oneembodiment, an advanced access repair interface may allow one or moreadvanced users to identify one or more locations and/or actions withinsource code of a website, which may not be visible and/or readilyapparent in the website itself. In certain embodiments, the accessrepair module 310 may provide a user interface element allowing a userto select and/or toggle between a standard user interface or view and anadvanced user interface or view.

In one embodiment, the test module 318 cooperates with the access repairmodule 310 to verify whether or not one or more received locationsand/or instructions from a user are accurate (e.g., usable to accessdata from a server of a third party service provider 108). The testmodule 318, in certain embodiments, attempts to access a server 108 of athird party service provider 108 for a plurality of different users(e.g., a sample group or test set), based on an identification theaccess repair module 310 received from a single user, using electroniccredentials of the different users or the like.

The test module 318, in certain embodiments, determines whether dataassociated with the different users (e.g., a sample group or test set)is accessible using the identification from the single user. The testmodule 318 may repeatedly attempt to access data from a third partyservice provider 108 using identifications which the access repairmodule 310 received from different users (e.g., on different hardwaredevices 102 and sent to the test module 318 on a single hardware device102 over the data network 106, sent to multiple test modules 318 ondifferent hardware devices 102 over the data network 106, sent to a testmodule 318 on a central backend server 110, or the like).

The test module 318, in one embodiment, provides one or moreidentifications from a user to other instances of the direct accessmodule 204 (e.g., other test modules 318) for accessing a server 108 ofa third party service provider 108 in response to an amount of thedifferent users (e.g., a sample group or test set) for which data isaccessible using the identification from the single user satisfying athreshold. For example, if the identification from the single usersuccessfully allows a predefined number of other test users (e.g., 2users, 10 users, 100 users, 1000 users, 50% of test users, 75% of testusers, and/or another predefined threshold number of test users) toaccess their data from a third party service provider 108, the testmodule 318 may provide instructions based on the identification to moreusers (e.g., all or substantially all users, or the like).

In certain embodiments, the test module 318 may successively increase atest size comprising a number of users to which the test module 318provides instructions for accessing their data from a third partyservice provider 108 using an identification from a single user (e.g.,starting with one or more test users, increasing to two or more, threeor more, four or more, five or more, ten or more, twenty or more, thirtyor more, forty or more, fifty or more, one hundred or more, five hundredor more, one thousand or more, five thousand or more, ten thousand ormore, one hundred thousand or more, a million or more, and/or othersuccessively increasing numbers of test users). The test module 318, inone embodiment, includes instructions based on an identification from asingle user in an ordered list of multiple different sets ofinstructions for accessing a server 108 of a third party serviceprovider 108, as described in greater detail below with regard to thehierarchy module 312.

The test module 318, in certain embodiments, is configured to prioritizeidentifications from one or more users based on one or more trustfactors for the one or more users (e.g., scores or the like). A trustfactor, in one embodiment, may comprise a score or other metadataindicating a likelihood that a user's identification is correct. Forexample, in various embodiments, a trust factor may include and/or bebased on one or more of a history of a user's previous identifications(e.g., correct or incorrect), a user's affiliation with a provider(e.g., a creator, a vendor, an owner, a seller, a reseller, amanufacturer, the backend server 110, or the like) of the one or moreaggregation modules 104, positive and/or negative indicators (e.g.,votes, likes, uses, feedback, stars, endorsements, or the like) fromother users, and/or other indicators of whether or not a user'sidentification is likely to be correct. The test module 318 maydetermine how many other users to provide a user's identification basedon one or more trust factors associated with the user (e.g.,accelerating a rate at which a user's identification is provided toother users in response to a higher trust factor, decreasing a rate atwhich a user's identification is provided to other users in response toa lower trust factor, or the like).

The test module 318 may provide an override interface, allowing anadministrator, moderator user, or the like to remove an identification,adjust and/or override an identification, adjust and/or override a trustfactor for a user, ban a user from providing identifications, and/orotherwise override a user or a user's identification. In variousembodiments, the test module 318 may provide an override interface to anadministrator and/or moderator as a GUI, an API, a CLI, or the like.

In certain embodiments, the test module 318 causes the one or moreaggregation modules 104 and their aggregation services to be selfhealing, self testing, and/or self incrementally deploying, as it testsand uses the most effective solutions, or the like (e.g., sets ofinstructions based on indications from one or more users).

In one embodiment, the hierarchy module 312 provides the direct accessmodule 204 with an ordered list of multiple different sets ofinstructions for accessing a server 108 of a third party serviceprovider 108 using a user's electronic credentials, for downloading dataassociated with the user, or the like. Each different set ofinstructions, in certain embodiments, comprises a location for enteringa user's electronic credentials, an instruction for submitting theuser's electronic credentials, one or more locations of the dataassociated with the user, or the like.

The hierarchy module 312, in one embodiment, may receive one or moresets of instructions from a backend server 110 (e.g., a backendaggregation module 104 b of a backend server 110), from another userhardware device 102 in a peer-to-peer manner (e.g., an aggregationmodule 104 a of a user hardware device 102), from a test module 318, orthe like. The hierarchy module 312, in certain embodiments, may receivemultiple different sets of instructions already in an ordered list(e.g., a global hierarchical order) based on a history of successfuland/or unsuccessful uses of the different sets of instructions bydifferent user hardware devices 102 and/or users, or the like. In oneembodiment, the hierarchy module 312 may determine a hierarchy forand/or create an ordered list from multiple different sets ofinstructions for a single user (e.g., a custom or individualizedhierarchy) based on a history of successful and/or unsuccessful uses ofthe different sets of instructions by the user (e.g., from one or morehardware devices 102 of the user).

The direct access module 104, in one embodiment, may iterate through anordered list of multiple sets of instructions for accessing a server 108of a third party service provider 108, in the order of the list, untilone of the sets of instructions is successful and the direct accessmodule 104 is able to access and/or download data from the third partyservice provider 108. The hierarchy module 312, in one embodiment, mayplace a most recent successfully used set of instructions at the top(e.g., as the first set to try). For example, the hierarchy module 312for a user's hardware device 102 may place a set of instructions foraccessing a third party service provider 108 at the top of a list (e.g.,adjusting an order of the list over time) in response to the directaccess module 204 successfully accessing and/or downloading data fromthe third party service provider 108 using the set of instructions. Incertain embodiments, the hierarchy module 312 may receive an orderedlist of multiple different sets of instructions for accessing a server108 of a third party service provider 108 in a first order (e.g., aglobal order) and may dynamically adjust and/or rearrange the differentsets of instructions over time based on a single user's/hardware device102's use (e.g., moving a set of instructions up in the list if accessusing the set of instructions is successful for the user/hardware device102, moving a set of instructions down in the list if access using theset of instructions is unsuccessful for the user/hardware device 102, orthe like).

The hierarchy module 312, in certain embodiments, may be configured toshare one or more sets of instructions, an ordered list of multiple setsof instructions, or the like with a hierarchy module 312 of anotheruser's hardware device 102 over a data network 106 (e.g., directly tothe other user's hardware device 102 in a peer-to-peer manner,indirectly by way of a backend aggregation module 104 b of a backendserver 110, or the like). Different sets of instructions may besuccessful or unsuccessful for different users, in various embodiments,due to different account types, different account settings, differentoriginating systems (e.g., due to a corporate acquisition or the like,different users of the same third party service provider 108 may haveone or more different settings, different access methods, or the like),system changes or upgrades, and/or another difference in accounts,services, or the like for different users of the same third partyservice provider 108.

In one embodiment, the route module 314 determines whether a hardwaredevice 102 of a user is available for the direct access module 204 todownload data associated with the user from a server 108 of a thirdparty service provider 108. The route module 314, in certainembodiments, may access a server 108 of a third party service provider108, from a remote backend server 110, using the user's electroniccredentials, to download data associated with the user from the server108 to the remote backend server 110 in response to the route module 314determining that the hardware device 102 of the user is unavailable. Theroute module 314, in one embodiment, provides a user one or more alerts(e.g., downloaded data from a third party service provider 108, arecommendation or suggestion determined based on data from a third partyservice provider 108, a notification or other alert based on an event orother trigger detected in data from a third party service provider 108,or the like) on a hardware device 102 of the user based on the dataassociated with the user downloaded to the remote backend server 110.

In certain embodiments, the route module 314 maintains and/or stores alist of multiple hardware devices 102 associated with a single userand/or account. In response to determining that one hardware device 102associated with a user and/or account is unavailable (e.g., powereddown, in airplane mode, not connected to the data network 106, or thelike), the route module 314 may access a server 108 of a third partyservice provider 108 from a different, available hardware device 102 ofthe user and/or account, may provide one or more notifications or otheralerts on a different, available hardware device 102, or the like. Theroute module 314, in various embodiments as described below with regardto FIGS. 4A-4C, may dynamically route downloading of data for a userfrom a third party service provider 108 between multiple hardwaredevices, such as one or more hardware devices 102 of the user, one ormore hardware devices 102 of a different user, one or more backendservers 110, and/or another hardware device, in a secure manner.

The route module 314, in one embodiment, may alternate or rotate betweenmultiple hardware devices 102, 110 (e.g., of the same user, of differentusers, or the like) for downloading data for the same user from a thirdparty service provider 108 periodically. For example, rotating and/oralternating devices 102, 110 from which data is downloaded, may decreasea likelihood that the downloading will be misinterpreted as fraudulentor improper. In another embodiment, the route module 314 may downloaddata from the same device 102, 110 (e.g., a primary hardware device 102of a user, a backend server 110, or the like), which may be authorizedand/or identified by the third party service provider 108 as a trusteddevice, or the like.

In one embodiment, the frequency module 316 sets a frequency with whichthe direct access module 204 accesses the server 108 of a third partyservice provider 108. The frequency module 316, in certain embodiments,determines a frequency based on input from a remote backend server 110,which may be unaffiliated with the third party service provider 108being accessed, so that the remote backend server 110 (e.g., thefrequency module 316 executing on the remote backend server 110)determines frequencies for a plurality of direct access modules 204 fordifferent users and/or different hardware devices 102. For example, thefrequency module 316 may limit a single user and/or hardware device 102from accessing the same third party service provider 108 more than anallowed threshold number of times within a time period (e.g., once everyten minutes, once every half an hour, once every hour, twice a day,three times a day, four times a day, or the like). The frequency module316, in certain embodiments, limits an access frequency to preventinadvertent denial of service by a third party service provider 108, orthe like.

The frequency module 316, in certain embodiments, may dynamically adjusta frequency with which a user and/or hardware device 102 may access athird party service provider 108 over time. For example, the frequencymodule 316 may monitor access and/or downloads by multiple users (e.g.,all users, available users, active users, or the like) to cap or limit atotal access and/or download bandwidth for each of the different thirdparty service providers 108 (e.g., so as not to overwhelm any singlethird party service provider 108, or the like). In this manner, in oneembodiment, a user and/or hardware device 102 may access and/or downloaddata with a higher frequency when fewer other users and/or hardwaredevices 102 are accessing and/or downloading data (e.g., low peaktimes), but may be limited to a lower cap or access frequency when moreother users and/or hardware devices 102 are accessing and/or downloadingdata (e.g., high peak times).

In a further embodiment, the frequency module 316 determines a frequencybased on input from a user, allowing the user to set the accessfrequency independently of other users and/or of a backend server 110.The frequency module 316 may provide a user interface (e.g., a GUI, CLI,API, or the like) allowing a user to set and/or adjust an accessfrequency for downloading data from one or more third party serviceproviders 108 using one or more hardware devices 102 (e.g., providingdifferent settings allowing the user to set different access frequenciesfor different third party service providers 108, different hardwaredevices 102 of the user, or the like).

FIG. 4A depicts one embodiment of a system 400 fordistributed/decentralized data aggregation. The system 400, in thedepicted embodiment, includes a single user hardware device 102 with anaggregation module 104 a. An authentication module 202 of theaggregation module 104 a, in certain embodiments, may store and/ormanage electronic user credentials locally on the user's hardware device102, the direct access module 204 may access one or more third partyservice providers 108 directly from the user's hardware device 102(e.g., over the data network 106) to download data associated with theuser to the user's hardware device 102, the interface module 206 mayprovide the data and/or one or more alerts/messages based on the data tothe user from the user's hardware device 102, or the like. In thedepicted system 400, the aggregation module 104 a may create a localrepository of data for the user from one or more third party serviceproviders 108, on the user's hardware device 102, without providing theuser's credentials, the user's data, or the like to a different user'shardware device, to a backend server 110, or the like.

FIG. 4B depicts one embodiment of a system 402 fordistributed/decentralized data aggregation. The system 402, in thedepicted embodiment, includes a plurality of user hardware devices 102with aggregation modules 104 a, associated with different users. Incertain embodiments, a first aggregation module 104 a (e.g., anauthentication module 202 of the first aggregation module 104 a) maysecurely provide encrypted user credentials for a first user from thefirst user's hardware device 102 a to a second aggregation module 104 a(e.g., an authentication module 202 of the second aggregation module 104a), over the data network 106 or the like, so that a direct accessmodule 204 of the second aggregation module 104 a may access one or morethird party service providers 108 from the second user's hardware device102 b (e.g., over the data network 106) to download data associated withthe first user.

For example, the second user's hardware device 102 b may download datafor the first user in response to the first user's hardware device 102 abeing powered off, being asleep, being blocked from accessing one ormore third party service providers 108, or the like, as determined by aroute module 314, or the like. The interface module 206 of the secondaggregation module 104 a may provide one or more alerts/messages to thefirst user based on the downloaded data and/or may provide thedownloaded data to the first user (e.g., in response to the first user'shardware device 102 a becoming available, to a different hardware device102 associated with the first user, to a backend server 110 to which thefirst user has access, or the like). As described above, in certainembodiments, the authentication module 202, the direct access module204, the interface module 206, and/or the route module 314 may encryptand/or otherwise secure data for the first user (e.g., the first user'selectronic credentials, downloaded data associated with the first user,alerts/messages for the first user), so that it is difficult orimpossible for the second user to access the data for the first user,thereby preventing and/or minimizing unauthorized access to the firstuser's data while providing greater flexibility in devices 102 and/orlocations from which data for the first user may be downloaded.

FIG. 4C depicts one embodiment of a system 404 fordistributed/decentralized data aggregation. The system 404, in thedepicted embodiment, includes one or more user hardware devices 102 withone or more aggregation modules 104 a, and one or more backend servers110 comprising one or more backend aggregation modules 104 b. Anauthentication module 202 of an aggregation module 104 a, in certainembodiments, may securely provide encrypted user credentials for a userfrom the user's hardware device 102 to a backend aggregation module 104b (e.g., an authentication module 202 of the backend aggregation module104 b) on a backend server 110, over the data network 106 or the like,so that a direct access module 204 of the backend aggregation module 104b may access one or more third party service providers 108 from thebackend server 110 (e.g., over the data network 106) to download dataassociated with the user.

For example, the backend server 110 may download data for the user inresponse to the user's hardware device 102 a being powered off, beingasleep, being blocked from accessing one or more third party serviceproviders 108, or the like, as determined by a route module 314, or thelike. The interface module 206 of the backend aggregation module 104 bmay provide one or more alerts/messages to the user based on thedownloaded data and/or may provide the downloaded data to the user(e.g., in response to the user's hardware device 102 a becomingavailable, to a different hardware device 102 associated with the firstuser, directly from the backend server 110 as a web page and/or througha dedicated application, or the like).

FIG. 5A depicts one embodiment of a user interface 500. The interface500, in certain embodiments, is provided by an access repair module 310to a user on an electronic display screen of a hardware device 102,allowing a user to graphically identify one or more input locations forthe user's credentials (e.g., a location for a username, a location fora password, or the like), a method for sending and/or submitting theuser's credentials (e.g., an API specification, a location of a submitbutton, or the like), a location of data associated with the user (e.g.,a URL or other link; a location on a web page at a link; a label, tag,or other identifier within plain text and/or source code of a web page506; or the like) and/or to graphically identify one or more otherinstructions for accessing data associated with the user from a thirdparty service provider 108.

In the depicted embodiment, the access repair module 310 overlays aninterface 502 over one or more pages of a website 506 of a third partyservice provider 108 on an electronic display screen of a user'shardware device 102. As described above, in various embodiments, theaccess repair module 310 may comprise a browser plugin and/or extensionwhich provides an interface 502 within an internet browser, may comprisean embedded browser within an application of the access repair module310, or may otherwise be integrated with and/or in communication with aninternet browser.

The access repair module 310, in the depicted embodiments, determinesand/or displays one or more suggestions 504 and/or recommendations 504for the user, which the user may either confirm or change/correct. Forexample, the access repair module 310 may display an interface element504 a with a suggested location for the user to enter a user name, aninterface element 504 b with a suggested location for the user to entera password, an interface element 504 c with a suggested credentialsubmit action, an interface element 504 d with a suggested location ofdata associated with the user, and/or one or more other interfaceelements allowing a user to graphically identify one or more locationswithin a website 506 of a third party service provider 108.

In one embodiment, an interface element 504 may include one or moreidentifiers of an estimated location and/or action which the accessrepair module 310 has determined (e.g., by scanning and/or parsing oneor more pages of a website 506, based on input from other usersaccessing one or more pages of a website 506, based on previousinteractions of the user with one or more pages of a website 506, aprediction made using a machine learning and/or artificial intelligenceanalysis of a website 506, based on a statistical analysis of historicalchanges to one or more pages of a website 506 and/or of one or moresimilar websites, or the like), such as an arrow or other pointer to alocation; a link or other identifier of a location; a box or otherhighlighting around a location; altering text labeling for a location tomake the text bold, italic, and/or underlined; or the like. A user, incertain embodiments, may click, select, or otherwise identify a locationto either confirm or change/correct a location suggested by the accessrepair module 310. For example, a user may click or otherwise select aninterface element 504 associated with a location and/or action (e.g., toactivate the selected interface element 504) and may click or otherwiseselect the location and/or perform the action, which the access repairmodule 310 may record (e.g., automatically populating a text fieldidentifying the location and/or action, recording a macro allowing theaction to be automatically repeated without the user, or the like).

The user, in one embodiment, may interact with the website 506 in orderto locate and/or identify one or more locations, perform one or moreactions, or the like. For example, in certain embodiments, the user maynavigate to one or more different pages within the website 506, maylogin to the website 506 using the user's electronic credentials for thewebsite 506, may navigate to a different website 506, may navigate toand/or download data associated with the user from the website 506, mayuse the website 506 in a usual manner, or the like. As described abovewith regard to the pattern module 308, the pattern module 308, in oneembodiment, may monitor the user's access pattern for the website 506,allowing the direct access module 204 to at least partially emulate theuser's access pattern in accessing the website 506, downloading dataassociated with the user from the website 506, or the like. In thedepicted embodiment, the access repair module 310 (and/or an associatedbrowser) displays a browser view of the website 506, with text, images,and/or other elements displayed substantially how an internet browserwould display the website 506, with the addition of the interface 502displayed over the website 506, to one side of the website 506, or thelike.

FIG. 5B depicts one embodiment of a user interface 510. While the userinterface 500 described above comprises a rendered, browser view of oneor more pages of a website 506, in one embodiment of the interface 510of FIG. 5B, the access repair module 310 (and/or an associated browser)displays source code 516 of a website 506. For example, in oneembodiment, the user interface 500 may comprise a standard access repairinterface and the user interface 510 may comprise an advanced accessrepair interface, allowing one or more advanced users to identify one ormore locations and/or actions within source code 516 of a website 506,which may not be visible and/or readily apparent in the website 506itself. In certain embodiments, a user may select and/or toggle betweena standard user interface 500 or view and an advanced user interface 510or view.

In the depicted embodiment, the access repair module 310 displays a userinterface 512 over and/or adjacent to the displayed source code 516,with one or more interface elements 514 a-d allowing a user to identifyone or more locations, actions, or the like substantially as describedabove. The access repair module 310, in the depicted embodiment,displays one or more suggestions and/or estimates of locations and/oractions, which the user may confirm and/or change/correct. In variousembodiments, a user may identify a location and/or an action in thesource code 516 by selecting and/or activating an interface element 514and selecting a portion of the source code 516, by dragging a portion ofthe source code 516 and dropping the portion onto an interface element514, by cutting and pasting a portion of the source code 516 into aninterface element 514, and/or otherwise identifying a location and/or anaction based on the source code 516.

In response to a user identifying one or more locations and/or actions(e.g., for entering, submitting, and/or sending electronic credentials;for locating and/or downloading data; or the like), in certainembodiments, the access repair module 310 may cooperate with the testmodule 318 to perform a live and/or real-time test of the identified oneor more locations and/or actions, to determine the validity and/oreffectiveness of the identified one or more locations and/or actionswhile the interface 500, 510 is visible to and/or in use by the user,allowing the user to change and/or correct provided information duringthe same session. For example, the access repair module 310 may displaya test button or other user interface element to a user, which the usermay select and/or activate to initiate a test. In another embodiment,the access repair module 310 may automatically perform a test inresponse to a user providing a location and/or action, without the userselecting and/or activating a test button or other user interfaceelement. In a further embodiment, the test module 318 may perform one ormore tests independent of the access repair module 310, with or withouttesting functionality of the access repair module 310.

FIG. 6 depicts one embodiment of a method 600 for distributed dataaggregation. The method 600 begins and an authentication module 202receives 602 a user's electronic credentials for a third party serviceprovider 108 from the user on a hardware device 102 of the user. Adirect access module 204 accesses 604 a server 108 of the third partyservice provider 108, from the hardware device 102 of the user, usingthe user's electronic credentials. A direct access module 204 downloads606 data associated with the user from the server 108 of the third partyservice provider 108 to the hardware device 102 of the user.

FIG. 7 depicts one embodiment of a method 700 for distributed and/ordecentralized data aggregation. The method 700 begins and anauthentication module 202 determines 702 a user's electronic credentialsfor a plurality of third party service providers 108. A direct accessmodule 204 accesses 704 servers of the plurality of third party serviceproviders 108 using the determined 702 electronic credentials. A directaccess module 204 downloads 706 data associated with the user from theaccessed 704 servers of the plurality of third party service providers108.

A direct access module 204 aggregates 708 the downloaded 706 data fromthe plurality of different third party service providers 108. Aninterface module 206 provides 710 the aggregated 708 data to the user(e.g., displaying the data on a hardware device 102 of the user, sendingan alert or other message to a hardware device 102 of the user, sendingthe data to a remote backend server 110 unaffiliated with the thirdparty service providers 108 which the user may access using a webinterface and/or API, or the like) and the method 700 ends.

FIG. 8 depicts another embodiment of a method 800 for distributed and/ordecentralized data aggregation. The method 800 begins and a networkauthentication module 304 receives 802 a user's electronic credentialsfor one or more third party service providers 108. A password managermodule 306 generates 804 new and/or different electronic credentials forthe one or more third party service providers 108 and updates the user'saccount(s) with the one or more third party service providers 108 withthe generated 804 electronic credentials.

An access repair module 310 determines 806 whether or not there is achange in access for the one or more third party service providers 108(e.g., whether access is broken or unavailable, whether access ispartial or incomplete, whether access bandwidth is slower thanpreviously determined, and/or whether another change in access hasoccurred). If the access repair module 310 determines 806 that accessfor a third party service provider 108 has changed, the access repairmodule 310 provides 808 a graphical user interface 500, 510 to the user.The access repair module 310 receives 810, through the provided 808graphical user interface 500, 510, an identification of one or morelocations and/or actions for authenticating the user and/or downloadingdata from the third party service provider 108. The test module 318tests 812 access to the third party service provider 108 using thereceived 810 identification of one or more locations and/or actions. Inresponse to successful testing 812 by the test module 318, the testmodule 318 and/or the pattern module 308 provide 814 instructions foraccessing and/or downloading data from the third party service provider108 based on the received 810 identification of one or more locationsand/or actions to one or more direct access modules 204 associated withone or more different users.

A route module 314 determines 816 whether a hardware device 102associated with the user is available. In response to the route module314 determining 816 that a hardware device 102 associated with the useris available, a direct access module 204 downloads 818 data associatedwith the user from one or more third party service providers 108 fromthe available hardware device 102 associated with the user.

In response to the route module 314 determining 816 that a hardwaredevice 102 associated with the user is not available, a direct accessmodule 204 of a different device (e.g., a hardware device 102 of adifferent user, a backend server 110, or the like) downloads 820 dataassociated with the user from one or more third party service providers108 from the different device. A route module 314 (e.g., on a differentdevice 102, 110) determines 822 whether an alert or other message isavailable for the user based on the downloaded 820 data and pushes 824and/or otherwise sends the alert or other message to a device 102associated with the user (e.g., an unavailable device 102) in responseto determining 822 that the alert or other message is available. Forexample, in one embodiment, a hardware device 102 of a user may beunavailable for downloading data (e.g., powered down, offline, asleep,using mobile data instead of Wi-Fi, or the like), but may receive apushed 824 alert or other message anyway (e.g., over a differentchannel, such as a text message, a voicemail, an email, a pushnotification, or the like) and/or may receive a pushed 824 alert orother message in response to becoming available at a later time.

An interface module 206 provides 826 the downloaded 818, 820 data and/orthe pushed 824 alert to the user (e.g., displaying the data on ahardware device 102 of the user, displaying a pushed/sent 824 alert orother message on a hardware device 102 of the user, sending the data toa remote backend server 110 unaffiliated with the third party serviceprovider 108 which the user may access using a web interface and/or API,or the like). The method 800, in certain embodiments, continues,periodically determining 806 whether there is a change in access for athird party service provider 108, determining 816 whether a hardwaredevice 102 of the user is available, downloading 818, 820 dataassociated with the user, and/or providing 826 downloaded data and/or apushed 824 alert or other message to the user, or the like.

A means for determining a user's electronic credentials for a thirdparty service provider 108 on a hardware device 102 of the user, invarious embodiments, may include one or more of a hardware device 102, abackend server 110, an authentication module 202, a local authenticationmodule 302, a network authentication module 304, a password managermodule 306, an aggregation module 104, a processor (e.g., a centralprocessing unit (CPU), a processor core, a field programmable gate array(FPGA) or other programmable logic, an application specific integratedcircuit (ASIC), a controller, a microcontroller, and/or anothersemiconductor integrated circuit device), an HDMI or other electronicdisplay dongle, a hardware appliance or other hardware device, otherlogic hardware, and/or other executable code stored on a computerreadable storage medium. Other embodiments may include similar orequivalent means for determining a user's electronic credentials for athird party service provider 108 on a hardware device 102 of the user.

A means for accessing a server 108 of a third party service provider108, from a hardware device 102 of a user, using the user's electroniccredentials, in various embodiments, may include one or more of ahardware device 102, a backend server 110, a direct access module 204, apattern module 308, an access repair module 310, a hierarchy module 312,an aggregation module 104, a network interface, a processor (e.g., acentral processing unit (CPU), a processor core, a field programmablegate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic, an application specificintegrated circuit (ASIC), a controller, a microcontroller, and/oranother semiconductor integrated circuit device), an HDMI or otherelectronic display dongle, a hardware appliance or other hardwaredevice, other logic hardware, and/or other executable code stored on acomputer readable storage medium. Other embodiments may include similaror equivalent means for accessing a server 108 of a third party serviceprovider 108, from a hardware device 102 of a user, using the user'selectronic credentials.

A means for downloading data associated with a user from a server 108 ofa third party service provider 108 to a hardware device 102 of the user,in various embodiments, may include one or more of a hardware device102, a backend server 110, a direct access module 204, a pattern module308, an access repair module 310, a hierarchy module 312, an aggregationmodule 104, a network interface, a processor (e.g., a central processingunit (CPU), a processor core, a field programmable gate array (FPGA) orother programmable logic, an application specific integrated circuit(ASIC), a controller, a microcontroller, and/or another semiconductorintegrated circuit device), an HDMI or other electronic display dongle,a hardware appliance or other hardware device, other logic hardware,and/or other executable code stored on a computer readable storagemedium. Other embodiments may include similar or equivalent means fordownloading data associated with a user from a server 108 of a thirdparty service provider 108 to a hardware device 102 of the user.

A means for packaging downloaded data from a hardware device 102 of auser for a remote device 110, 102 unaffiliated with a third partyservice provider 108 from which the data was downloaded, in variousembodiments, may include one or more of a hardware device 102, a backendserver 110, an interface module 206, an aggregation module 104, aprocessor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a processor core, afield programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic, anapplication specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a controller, amicrocontroller, and/or another semiconductor integrated circuitdevice), an HDMI or other electronic display dongle, a hardwareappliance or other hardware device, other logic hardware, and/or otherexecutable code stored on a computer readable storage medium. Otherembodiments may include similar or equivalent means for packagingdownloaded data from a hardware device 102 of a user for a remote device110, 102 unaffiliated with a third party service provider 108 from whichthe data was downloaded.

A means for providing downloaded data from a hardware device 102 of auser to a remote device 110, 102 unaffiliated with a third party serviceprovider 108 from which the data was downloaded, in various embodiments,may include one or more of a hardware device 102, a backend server 110,an interface module 206, an aggregation module 104, a processor (e.g., acentral processing unit (CPU), a processor core, a field programmablegate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic, an application specificintegrated circuit (ASIC), a controller, a microcontroller, and/oranother semiconductor integrated circuit device), an HDMI or otherelectronic display dongle, a hardware appliance or other hardwaredevice, other logic hardware, and/or other executable code stored on acomputer readable storage medium. Other embodiments may include similaror equivalent means for providing downloaded data from a hardware device102 of a user to a remote device 110, 102 unaffiliated with a thirdparty service provider 108 from which the data was downloaded.

Means for performing the other method steps described herein, in variousembodiments, may include one or more of a hardware device 102, a backendserver 110, an authentication module 202, a local authentication module302, a network authentication module 304, a password manager module 306,a direct access module 204, a pattern module 308, an access repairmodule 310, a hierarchy module 312, an interface module 206, a routemodule 314, a frequency module 316, a test module 318, an aggregationmodule 104, a network interface, a processor (e.g., a central processingunit (CPU), a processor core, a field programmable gate array (FPGA) orother programmable logic, an application specific integrated circuit(ASIC), a controller, a microcontroller, and/or another semiconductorintegrated circuit device), an HDMI or other electronic display dongle,a hardware appliance or other hardware device, other logic hardware,and/or other executable code stored on a computer readable storagemedium. Other embodiments may include similar or equivalent means forperforming one or more of the method steps described herein.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from its spirit or essential characteristics. The describedembodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrativeand not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicatedby the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. Allchanges which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of theclaims are to be embraced within their scope.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: accessing each of aplurality of third party service providers, from a hardware deviceassociated with a user, using the user's determined electroniccredentials, to download data associated with the user from the thirdparty service providers; accessing one or more other locations on one ormore of the third party service providers, with one or more artificiallyintroduced delays between accessing the one or more other locations anddownloading the data, thereby emulating a use pattern of the user forthe one or more of the third party service providers; and aggregatingthe downloaded data from the third party service providers and providingone or more communications to the user on the hardware device based onthe aggregated downloaded data.
 2. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising determining a user's electronic credentials for a pluralityof third party service providers.
 3. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising providing the downloaded data from the hardware device to adifferent device separate from the third party service providers.
 4. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the emulated use pattern is determined basedon one or more of an average pattern identified in behavior of multipleother users accessing the one or more of the third party serviceproviders using a web browser and a pattern identified in behavior ofthe user accessing the one or more of the third party service providersusing a web browser.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:detecting that access to the data associated with the user from one ormore of the third party service providers is unavailable; and providingan interface to the user allowing the user to graphically identify oneor more of an input location for the user's electronic credentials and alocation of the data associated with the user on a website of theunavailable one or more of the third party service providers.
 6. Themethod of claim 5, further comprising: processing one or more pages ofthe website; and displaying to the user in the interface an estimate ofone or more of the input location for the user's electronic credentialsand the location of the data associated with the user such that the userconfirms whether or not the estimate is correct using the interface. 7.The method of claim 6, further comprising: attempting to access theunavailable one or more of the third party service providers for aplurality of different users, based on the identification from the user,using electronic credentials of the different users; and providing theidentification from the user to additional users to access dataassociated with the additional users, in response to determining thatdata associated with the different users is accessible using theidentification from the user.
 8. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: determining whether the hardware device associated with theuser is available to download the data associated with the user; andaccessing one or more of the third party service providers, from adifferent device, using the user's electronic credentials, to downloadthe data associated with the user to the different device, in responseto determining that the hardware device associated with the user isunavailable.
 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising: generatingand managing one or more different, secure, electronic credentials forthe user for each of the third party service providers; and securelystoring the generated one or more different, secure, electroniccredentials for the user on the hardware device associated with theuser.
 10. An apparatus comprising: a direct access module configured to:access each of a plurality of third party service providers, from ahardware device associated with a user, using the user's determinedelectronic credentials, to download data associated with the user fromthe third party service providers; and access one or more otherlocations on one or more of the third party service providers, with oneor more artificially introduced delays between accessing the one or moreother locations and downloading the data, thereby emulating a usepattern of the user for the one or more of the third party serviceproviders; and an interface module configured to provide one or morecommunications to the user on the hardware device based on thedownloaded data, the downloaded data aggregated from the third partyservice providers.
 11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising anauthentication module configured to determine the user's electroniccredentials for the plurality of third party service providers.
 12. Theapparatus of claim 10, wherein the interface module is furtherconfigured to provide the downloaded data from the hardware device to adifferent device separate from the third party service providers. 13.The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the emulated use pattern isdetermined based on one or more of an average pattern identified inbehavior of multiple other users accessing the one or more of the thirdparty service providers using a web browser and a pattern identified inbehavior of the user accessing the one or more of the third partyservice providers using a web browser.
 14. The apparatus of claim 10,further comprising an access repair module configured to: detect thataccess to the data associated with the user from one or more of thethird party service providers is unavailable; and provide an interfaceto the user allowing the user to graphically identify one or more of aninput location for the user's electronic credentials and a location ofthe data associated with the user on a website of the unavailable one ormore of the third party service providers.
 15. The apparatus of claim14, wherein the access repair module is further configured to: processone or more pages of the website; and display to the user in theinterface an estimate of one or more of the input location for theuser's electronic credentials and the location of the data associatedwith the user such that the user confirms whether or not the estimate iscorrect using the interface.
 16. The apparatus of claim 15, furthercomprising a test module configured to: attempt to access theunavailable one or more of the third party service providers for aplurality of different users, based on the identification from the user,using electronic credentials of the different users; and provide theidentification from the user to additional users to access dataassociated with the additional users, in response to determining thatdata associated with the different users is accessible using theidentification from the user.
 17. The apparatus of claim 10, furthercomprising a password manager module configured to: generate and manageone or more different, secure, electronic credentials for the user foreach of the third party service providers; and securely store thegenerated one or more different, secure, electronic credentials for theuser on the hardware device associated with the user.
 18. An apparatuscomprising: means for accessing each of a plurality of third partyservice providers, from a hardware device associated with a user, usingthe user's determined electronic credentials, to download dataassociated with the user from the third party service providers; meansfor accessing one or more other locations on one or more of the thirdparty service providers, with one or more artificially introduced delaysbetween accessing the one or more other locations and downloading thedata, thereby emulating a use pattern of the user for the one or more ofthe third party service providers; and means for aggregating thedownloaded data from the third party service providers and providing oneor more communications to the user on the hardware device based on theaggregated downloaded data.
 19. The apparatus of claim 18, furthercomprising means for determining a user's electronic credentials for aplurality of third party service providers.
 20. The apparatus of claim18, wherein the emulated use pattern is determined based on one or moreof an average pattern identified in behavior of multiple other usersaccessing the one or more of the third party service providers using aweb browser and a pattern identified in behavior of the user accessingthe one or more of the third party service providers using a webbrowser.